Trajectory simulation of 3D-printed container models based on CFD

Abstract

Subsea pipelines are a cost-effective and reliable way to transport hydrocarbons in offshore oil and gas development. However, dropped objects can pose a hazard and cause damage to the pipes. Among them, the container is a relatively common structure in maritime transportation, and its falling process is likely to cause potential danger. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to calculate the relevant hydrodynamic coefficients of the different container models at different drop angles. This study validates the CFD-derived results by comparing drop test results with CFD simulation results, including the total flow time, landing location, and number of spatial flips, etc. In addition, the consistency between the simulated added mass coefficient (Ca) & drag coefficient (Cd) and the reference values of DNV-RP-F107 (2010) also demonstrates the reliability and precision of the CFD technique. The results show that the agreement between CFD-simulated Ca and the values provided by DNV-RP-F107 (2010) as well as the theoretical values outlined by Clauss et al. (1992) validates the precision of CFD simulation.